our numbers are considerably large orer, and among the guests in the audience are our congressman, jim mcgovern, also mary beth mcmahon, senior vice president of special olympics massachusetts, virginia swain, returned peace corps volunteer coordinator and kathy fielder, representing holy cross. to you special guests and to everyone, a warm welcome. we also need to note the absence of a holy cross junior, ken jordan, head of the local chapter of the knights of columbus, whose brother died in an auto accident two days ago. ken and his fellow knights have put forth great effort to publicize this evening's event, and ken had been anticipating it eagerly. this evening it's a particular pleasure to welcome mark back to his alma mater. he took several courses with me during his student days, but our relationship wasn't completely academic. through the generosity of mark's father, i was able to accompany him and one of his classmates in travels through poland and the soviet union in the summer of 1985, the summer before their senior year. and on that first day in leningrad -- now st. petersbu